Pair of former Phillies land new contracts in Texas
Which two former Phillies have found new homes to play for?
By Edward Eng
Things may not have been as rosy for both Josh Harrison and Andrew Knapp during their tenures with the Philadelphia Phillies, but both of them have recently found a new home for a fresh start in the state of Texas.
For Harrison, he has caught on with the AL West division-leading Texas Rangers and has signed a minor league contract with the organization for the remainder of the season. Harrison had struggled in his time with the Phillies this year after signing a one-year, $2 million deal with the ballclub during the past offseason to help fill the utilityman role on the roster. However, he wasn’t able to perform to expectations, as he posted a paltry .204 average, .554 OPS, along with just eight runs scored, two home runs and 10 RBI in 40 games played.
In joining the Rangers, Harrison will have a chance to reach the postseason once again if he is selected to the big league roster, since he has joined the organization prior to September 1st making him eligible for the playoffs. But with the Rangers pretty much set with their MLB roster, barring any injuries, he will definitely have to work hard to impress to be among the couple of callups when September rolls around.
In the case of Knapp, he has signed with the Houston Astros to a minor league deal after being released from the Detroit Tigers’ organization in the previous week. Knapp had spent five seasons with the Phillies dating back to 2017 when he made his debut with the ballclub. The former second round pick from the 2013 MLB Draft never really managed to break out during his tenure with the Phillies, as he served mainly in a platoon role at catcher. Knapp managed just a .214 batting average, .636 OPS, with 79 runs scored, 30 doubles, 13 home runs and 62 RBI over 309 games played in those five seasons.
Knapp will probably serve mainly as catching depth for the Astros’ organization, since they are pretty much set with the duo of Martin Maldonado and Yainer Diaz at the major league level. Nevertheless, his veteran presence could be valuable to the ballclub in any event he is called upon for his services in the near future.